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Serenades Amidst the Sirens, Lina Brockdorff’s autobiographical account of Malta’s World War II, has just been published by Horizons Communications.

Unlike other books about Malta’s wartime ordeal, this book is written from the perspective of a young girl growing up as a bewildering world around her seems to fall to pieces. As her father’s soothing serenades are drowned out by screeching air raid sirens, only unwavering faith and courage pull her family and country through.

Originally published in Maltese as Sireni u Serenati, the work won ’Best Novel – Non Fiction’ prize in the National Book Council of Malta awards in 2004. It has attracted the attention of a wide audience and has also been serialised and broadcast on several radio stations.

Brockdorff is an accomplished Maltese author, with several published novels and collections of short stories, many of which were also broadcast in Malta and Australia. Her light and keenly-observed writing and her heart-warming sense of humanity have delighted and captivated many readers.

“Incredible as it was, our family’s story was the story of thousands of others during that eventful and vivid time,’’ the writer said. ‘’I simply had to put in on record and share it.’’

David Bezzina, general manager of Horizons, said: “We have already published a number of novels by Lina in Maltese, and these have all proven to be very successful. Her wartime autobiography remains, of course, one of her most iconic and timeless works. Now that it is also available in English, it can continue to be enjoyed by so many more readers, and not just in Malta.’’

The book is available from BDL, leading booksellers and online.

http://horizons.com.mt